Gibraltar Point
Encyclopedia
Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve
is an area of approximately 4.3 km² (1.7 sq mi) in Lincolnshire
, England.
The reserve is owned by Lincolnshire County Council and East Lindsey
District Council and is administered by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
. The reserve comprises two parallel ridges of sand dunes—the "east dunes" and the "west dunes"—separated by approximately half a kilometre of salt marsh
; and an area on the seaward side with further salt marsh and sand, shingle and muddy beaches. The reserve extends for a distance of about 5 km (3 mi) along the coast, from the southern end of Skegness
to the northern corner of The Wash
(Gibraltar Point itself is at the southernmost tip, and marks the point where the North Sea
coast turns southwest towards Boston
). A golf
course occupies much of the west dunes (the inland side) at the Skegness end of the area. Gibraltar Point is an area of coastal deposition
—at the end of the 18th century the west dunes were by the shore, but they are now a kilometre inland.
In 2006 a new Visitors' Centre opened at the southern end of the reserve. This contains the Wild Coast Exhibition, an exhibition about the habitats and wildlife of Gibraltar Point including 3D models of sand dunes and salt marshes where visitors can view the burrow
of a natterjack toad
. The Nature Discovery Room has interactive displays and marine tanks containing animals found in the sea off the Lincolnshire coast.
Situated next to the Visitors' Centre in the old coastguard house and look-out is The Wash Study Centre; this has residential accommodation, a laboratory, classroom and a library. The centre is open to groups from schools, youth groups, colleges, universities, natural history
societies and similar organisations.
Revenue from car parks assists in the upkeep of the area. There are many paths around the area, and several artificial lakes and hides. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust also owns an old farm and land just inshore of the west dunes at the southern end of the reserve, again with an artificial lake and hides.
The reserve's importance is recognised by its various designations:
The following overwinter:
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
is an area of approximately 4.3 km² (1.7 sq mi) in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England.
The reserve is owned by Lincolnshire County Council and East Lindsey
East Lindsey
East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Manby near Louth, and other major settlements in the district include Alford, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle and Chapel St Leonards....
District Council and is administered by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the whole ceremonial county of Lincolnshire England...
. The reserve comprises two parallel ridges of sand dunes—the "east dunes" and the "west dunes"—separated by approximately half a kilometre of salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
; and an area on the seaward side with further salt marsh and sand, shingle and muddy beaches. The reserve extends for a distance of about 5 km (3 mi) along the coast, from the southern end of Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
to the northern corner of The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
(Gibraltar Point itself is at the southernmost tip, and marks the point where the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast turns southwest towards Boston
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
). A golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course occupies much of the west dunes (the inland side) at the Skegness end of the area. Gibraltar Point is an area of coastal deposition
Deposition (geology)
Deposition is the geological process by which material is added to a landform or land mass. Fluids such as wind and water, as well as sediment flowing via gravity, transport previously eroded sediment, which, at the loss of enough kinetic energy in the fluid, is deposited, building up layers of...
—at the end of the 18th century the west dunes were by the shore, but they are now a kilometre inland.
In 2006 a new Visitors' Centre opened at the southern end of the reserve. This contains the Wild Coast Exhibition, an exhibition about the habitats and wildlife of Gibraltar Point including 3D models of sand dunes and salt marshes where visitors can view the burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
of a natterjack toad
Natterjack Toad
The Natterjack Toad is a toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Europe. Adults are 60–70 mm in length and are distinguished from Common Toads by a yellow line down the middle of the back...
. The Nature Discovery Room has interactive displays and marine tanks containing animals found in the sea off the Lincolnshire coast.
Situated next to the Visitors' Centre in the old coastguard house and look-out is The Wash Study Centre; this has residential accommodation, a laboratory, classroom and a library. The centre is open to groups from schools, youth groups, colleges, universities, natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
societies and similar organisations.
Revenue from car parks assists in the upkeep of the area. There are many paths around the area, and several artificial lakes and hides. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust also owns an old farm and land just inshore of the west dunes at the southern end of the reserve, again with an artificial lake and hides.
The reserve's importance is recognised by its various designations:
- SSSI (Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific InterestA Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
); - NNR (National Nature ReserveNational Nature ReserveFor details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
); - Ramsar wetland site (wetland of international importance);
- SPA (Special Protection AreaSpecial Protection AreaA Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
).
Birdlife
The reserve is home to a great variety of birdlife, mostly wildfowl, waders and gulls. Unusual migrants are frequently seen, and birds commonly found at the site include:- Little TernLittle TernThe Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a...
Sterna albifrons breed at the site.
The following overwinter:
- Bar-tailed GodwitBar-tailed GodwitThe Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
Limosa lapponica; - Grey PloverGrey PloverThe Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding....
Pluvialis squatarola,; - Red KnotRed KnotThe Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
Calidris canutus; - Eurasian OystercatcherEurasian OystercatcherThe Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,...
Haematopus ostralegus;
External links
- Gibraltar Point
- Gibraltar Point (Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust)
- Government Join Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Page
- Gibraltar Point bird observatory